An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 in Wellington Harbour. Q405 on the bow. Hills in the background. On the reverse are the notes “ML 405 Sept 1943 Wgton Harbour”. The photograph is slightly out of focus. Wellington, 1 Sep 1943An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 in Wellington Harbour. Q405 on the bow, hills in the background. On the reverse are the notes “ML Q 405 Self on bridge Wgtn”. Stamped with “RNew ZealandAF Photograph Crown Copyright Reserved Unit CPS Air Dept Serial No G626 Date 20-10-43”An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 with crew, family and friends at the Devonport Naval Base on Christmas Day. On the reverse in pencil are the notes “Fairmile 405”, “Xmas Day 1943” and a stamp with “Ginders Print”. In pen at the bottom “R E Pugh-Williams top second right” and “ML405”. Devonport, December 1943.An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 approaching berth at the Devonport Naval Base. HMNZS TUI or KIWI on the far side of the wharf on the extreme right, Isles class minesweeper extreme left. Port side view of a small warship approaching berth, crew fallen in on deck, Q405 on the bow. Houses on skyline in the background. On the reverse are the notes “Auckland 1944” “6Y” “Fairmile” “Q 405”. Devonport, 1944 Collins, Tudor Washington (b.1898, d.1970) Production date 1944Fairmile Q405,An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 approaching berth at the Devonport Naval Base. Starboard quarter view of a small warship approaching berth, Q405 on the stern. Concrete fuel tank in background right. Houses on the skyline. On the reverse are the notes “1944” “66” “Q 405”.An original black and white photograph of Fairmiles Q405, Q410 and another unidentified Fairmile in Calliope Basin. There is a Castle class minesweeper in the right foreground. There is an inner harbour with several vessels moored inside. In the right foreground is a small area of deck from a larger vessel. In the centre are three identical vessels, sterns out. The first two are identified as “Q405” and “Q410” on the stern. There are two vessels side on behind them and five smaller vessels on the far left. The background shows several buildings on a wharf. On the reverse is a pencilled caption written by museum volunteer Ian Hunter. Auckland, Early 1944. January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons. Copied from R.N.Z.N. Official photo.Commander Dowding with FAIRMILE Q405 ship’s company -January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons.Commander Dowding with FAIRMILE Q405 ship’s company -January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons.Fairmile launch ‘Marlyn’ sunk at SHELLY BAY April 1968 Fairmile launch Marlyn being lifted by floating crane Hikitia at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold.Fairmile launch Marlyn, under repair at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold. Fairmile launch Marlyn, under repair at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold
Q405 was the eighth NZ Fairmile built and the third completed by Associated Boatbuilders. After the war it was named “Marlyn” and put into service ferrying cargo between Wellington and Lytellton. It completed approx. 600 trips during 1947-56. It was laid up for a couple of years and then was trialled in a crayfishing venture in Fiji which proved unsuccessful. By 1962 it was in use at Stewart Island as a wharfside coolstore for the fishery. Later it was used for fishing off the Otago coast and finally converted to a trawler and operated at Chatham Islands, from where it had returned to Wellington by 1968. After the Wahine storm it was salvaged by floating crane and hauled out on a slipway at Shelly Bay with the intention of repair. There are four colour photos that can be viewed on the NatLib archives site which show the recovery and damage. It must have been later assessed as beyond repair because in 1969 is was towed to Whakatahuri in the Marlborough Sounds where it was stripped and burnt.
